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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25685590">A Problem Shared</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotInPublic/pseuds/NotInPublic'>NotInPublic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Entangled [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last Kingdom (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, big sad, trope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:27:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25685590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotInPublic/pseuds/NotInPublic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Gisela's death, Uhtred and Finan get caught in a storm. Huddling together for warmth, they realise they haven't lost everything, after all.</p><p>TLKFFF Round 3: Huddling for Warmth.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finan/Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Referenced Uhtred/Finan/Gisela</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Entangled [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862605</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Last Kingdom Fanfic Fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Problem Shared</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This started as one idea and then took on a life of its own. I had no control here, it wrote itself. It fits in with a previous fic, We Have a Problem but can be read entirely on its own.<br/>Feedback is always appreciated!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uhtred squinted through the rain at the river they had crossed earlier that day. At noon, it had been shallow enough to cross on horse but the current storm had swelled it's banks and had made it impassible. At his side, Finan shook his head and pulled up his horse to a stop.</p><p>"It's no good. We're not making it back that way."</p><p>Uhtred let out a huff of annoyance but didn't dissagree. "It'll take three times as long to go around. We should camp here and cross tomorrow, when the swell has passed."</p><p>"Just what I wanted, a night in the freezing cold, in wet clothes on hard ground." Finan swung down from his horse and led them deeper into the trees that lined the path. They would offer some protection from the weather at least. Finans shoulders were bunched together in the way Uhtred recognised as the other man restraining his temper.</p><p>"We've had worse." Uhtred reasoned, fighting down a joke about how the other man was becoming soft with age. Something told him that would be the wrong thing to say at that moment, especially as it was Uhtred's fault they were in this position.</p><p>They were deep enough into familiar land to chance a fire and once they had set up camp for the night, Uhtred sank next to the flames, watching them curl and contort in front of him. Finan crouched next to him, reaching out to warm his hands with a small shiver.</p><p>"Come here" Uhtred beckoned, opening the side of his cloak to allow Finan to huddle close for warmth.</p><p>"We haven't done this is a while." Finan muttered, slight twitch in the corner of his mouth softening his hard stare.</p><p>It was true, they hadn't been in this position since their time at Sveri's oars. Uhtred begrudgingly admitted to himself that this hadn't been one of his best ideas. They hadn't strictly needed to scout their borders today but he had wanted to get away from the pitying stares and understanding smiles. While he knew they were well meant, they were maddening.</p><p>Gisela would never have let them leave, he knew. She would have fixed them with the hard stare of hers, hand on hip and barred them in the hall. She had always known when a storm was brewing, even when the sun beat down on the fields.</p><p>Gisela.</p><p>It had been six weeks since her death. Uhtred welcomed the cold seeping into his skin, the uncomfortable trickle of water down his back. The dark clouds blanketing the sky. They matched his mood.</p><p>Uhtred moved under the cloak, fingers brushing against the top of Finan's before taking his hand in his own. He squeezed gently. While he welcomed the cold that seeped into his bones, he hated the way Finan shivered next to him, goosebumps raised on his skin.</p><p>He drew Finan closer to the fire, running his hands over the other man's arms to warm try to him. It wasn't the most enjoyable of embraces they had shared, cold and damp. Yet it was far from the worst. It was a comfort, a closeness and Uhtred felt the tension drop from Finan's shoulders slightly.</p><p>"We haven't done <em>this</em> in a while either." Finan nodded pointedly to where Uhtred's arms circled his own under the cloak, the final edges of gruffness leaving his voice. When their eyes met, Uhtred saw a glint of hurt in the other man's gaze. His stomach clenched.</p><p>It <em>had</em> been a while, Finan was right. Gisela's death hung over them like a Spector and neither had quite known how to continue without her. She had been their compass. Without her, they were lost. Uhtred knew that if something didn't change soon, they'd become lost from each other also.</p><p>The all encompassing grief that Gisela's loss cast over them was just too great. Neither could face it alone and at the same time, coming together was an all too stark reminder of their pain. </p><p>"I'm sorry." Uhtred spoke softly, watching the raindrops drip from the heavy leaves overhead.</p><p>He had meant it as an apology for being so distant in recent weeks. For not being what he should have been. Once the words were out, however, the mental dam he had formed sprang loose. He was sorry, to Finan, of course but also to their children for not being able to fill the hole their mother had left. To his men for not being the leader they needed. To Gisela, their beautiful Gisela, for being the reason she was no longer with them. For being the reason their lives had been torn apart. For not being enough to stitch the pieces back together.</p><p>The breath he let out could have been a sob. Finan's fingers curled tighter around Uhtred's, anchoring him. </p><p>"Stop that." Finan growled, the harshness back in his voice as he shifted uncomfortably on the hard ground.</p><p>"Stop what?" Uhtred flared back, the rawness of his emotions giving way to something he had a much better hold of, anger.</p><p>"Taking it all on you." Finan spat back bitterly, meeting Uhtred's anger with his own "People die Uhtred. Everyday. You had no control over what happened. I loved her too. It's not just you that loved her. I lost her too. The children have lost her. Her friends have lost her." he broke off, pulling his hand away from Uhtred sharply. His anger had burnt out as easily as it had flared. Uhtred could see his own emotions being mirrored back at him. Finan was all raw grief and hurt, regret and fear. He opened and closed his mouth several times before finally whispering her name like a prayer.</p><p>"Gisela."</p><p>Uhtred wondered if that was the first time he had spoken her name aloud "she would not want this. You cannot blame yourself or keep pushing us away."</p><p>"I haven't been pushing anyone away." Uhtred cut him off brutally, hearing only accusation in the other man's words.</p><p>"Yes you have." Finan's voice was emotionless, wrung out "and I will not lose you too."</p><p>The combination of Finan's tone and words brought Uhtred up sharply. He scrubbed his face with his hands before turning to face the other man.</p><p>"Finan-" Uhtred whispered his name. He wanted to tell him that his words were foolishness, that he was sat right next to him. That he wasn't going anywhere. Yet he could feel the truth in Finan's words, feel the invisible barrier between them. Had that been his doing?</p><p>Uhtred exhaled loudly but whether out of frustration or sadness, he didn't know.</p><p>'What a mess" he growled, hanging his head in his hands.</p><p>They sat in silence for a while after that, letting the sounds of the rain wash over them. Uhtred raised his head to study Finan, seeing him fully for the first time in weeks. He saw the gaunt, drawn out lines and pale skin of Finan's face. Saw the tiredness in his eyes and the hard set to his jaw. How had he not noticed before?</p><p>Reaching out tentatively, as though this was the first time, he layed a hand against Finan's cheek, thumbing along his pronounced cheekbone. Uhtred's heart clenched to see how Finan leaned into the touch.</p><p>"I miss her so much." The words left Finan's lips as a broken whisper.</p><p>"So do I." Uhtred nodded "but I am still here. We are still here."</p><p>Finan's eyes raised to meet his own and if both men were blinking away tears, neither spoke of it.</p><p>"Everything has changed." The Irishman croaked, swallowing hard.</p><p>"Yes." Uhtred nodded gravely, biting his lower lip before continuing "but I love you. That will never change."</p><p>It was as if those were the words Finan had been waiting to hear, his face lighting up into a watery smile.</p><p>"I love you too." He whispered, fingers tangling into the wet fabric of Uhtred's tunic, tugging slightly to punctuate his words.</p><p>Suddenly they were clinging to each other, hands fisting at material and hair and anything they could reach. </p><p>Finan broke away with a chuckle and Uhtred sent him a quizzical look.</p><p>"She did always say how foolish we were."</p><p>Uhtred smiled at that, looking down at his hands.</p><p>"And that we wouldn't know what to do without her." He agreed, a pang of pain lancing through him. Finan's fingers tightened around his own.</p><p>"She was right." He muttered darkly into Uhtred's damp hair "look at us. It's bloody freezing."</p><p>"Sorry." Uhtred apologied for the second time that night.</p><p>"It's my own stupid fault for agreeing. I should have let you go alone." His voice was gruff but Uhtred could hear the smile on his lips.</p><p>He pulled Finan closer, trying to chase the cold away. The fire cracked beside them and finally, the rain began to ease.</p><p>Their eyes met again and Finan sent him a small smile. There was sadness there, a hole that couldn't be filled by just the two of them alone. Their loss was too big. Yet there was hope too. A reminder that they had not lost everything. It was a good place to start. He held Finan tighter and watched the flames curl as the heat slowly warmed them.</p><p> </p>
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